Trawling the ICW, day 1
Joel passed us in the morning on the ICW north of Charleston, as we headed for Georgetown. It was a classic example of "it's a small world". Joel keeps his boat next to mine in Norfolk. I live on a sailboat, and he has a twin hulled catamaran power boat, generically referred to as a "power cat". Last winter, Joel headed south to Florida in his boat, with a promise to return when the weather warmed up. That was the last I saw of Joel for the rest of the winter. After settling in on Frank's boat in Charleston, I was walking the dock looking at the boats tied up. Mind you, I was not walking ALL the docks at the marina; just the one where Frank's boat was tied up. Two or three slips away from Frank's boat was a power cat that looked like the same sort of boat that Joel owned. As I walked closer to the boat, it looked a LOT like Joel's boat. Then I read the name on the side of the boat. Damn, it WAS Joel's boat! I drive 300 miles from home, plop down on a random dock in a random Charleston marina, and find my next door neighbor 3 boats down the dock. Go figure.Joel blew by us at "warp speed" that morning. The power cat is a great way to cruise. The 2 hulls make it a stable boat that generally does not require much water depth. They also enjoy a reputation of having wide, spacious interiors. I have been in Joel's boat, and it is really beautiful, not to mention fairly new. Another cool thing about a power cat is that they typically have two engines; one in each hull. This makes them extremely maneuverable in tight places, and extremely fast out on the open water. Joel's boat travels roughly twice as fast as Frank's boat. But, all boats are a compromise. Frank's boat is slower, but it burns less fuel per hour. I suspect it also burns less fuel per mile, but I can't swear to that. Frank's boat is also heavier. That means it probably needs deeper water to float. But, it also means that it can carry more "stuff", and "stuff" is always in plentiful supply for someone who lives on their boat. Frank's big boat is also designed to be a little more "user friendly" when it comes to rough water, though you might successfully argue that Joel's faster boat can get through the rough water and into port sooner. Like I said, all boat designs are a compromise, and I personally think both boats are way cool.
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